


Adversity, Redemption, and Kindness

by Evaldrynn



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), ark survival evolved (game)
Genre: AU, Ark Survival Evolved (game) - Freeform, Avengers AU, Comedy, Dinosaurs, F/M, More tags to be added, Multific, Mystery, Romance, Slow Burn, Survival, You dont need to know the game to read this dont worry, probably lots of angst later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-02-11 04:02:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12926994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evaldrynn/pseuds/Evaldrynn
Summary: The Avengers wake up in a foreign place - in nothing but their underwear, no less - and soon begin to realise that they are most certainly in trouble.Good thing you are there to save them from being eaten alive by dinosaurs!Author's notes:You don't need to know the game or to have played it to understand this fic!I will add pictures and possibly drawings of anything you might need to know.Also, no information on the dinosaurs is fully correct: they are not true to how they must have been in real life, yet I will follow those lines.Thank you for commissioning me!





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cyanna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyanna/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative summary:  
> Welcome to Dino Island, where the raptors run free and you are the food! Enjoy your stay, however long it may last~

A groan slipped from his lips before he even realised he was conscious. He kept his eyes pressed tightly shut – the world was too bright, too bright – until the rest of his senses returned, too. The feeling of sand gritting between his teeth and sticking to his body, the sound of waves and birds and insects, the warmth of the sun on his sweaty skin, even the taste of salt on his tongue.  
Slowly the strength in his muscles seemed to return; and with it, pain: a searing hot sting shot from his left wrist up his arm and into his brain and he grunted again, opening his eyes just far enough for them to get used to the light.

What had happened?  
Had there been a fight?  
Had that monster taken the wheel again?

His vision did not focus, but he could make out the sand. Sand, so much white, glittering sand. Large, blurry shapes in the distance; rocks perhaps. His mind was processing it all so agonizingly slowly - had he hit his head? Why weren't his eyes focusing?  
He brought a hand to his face and found that no spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose.  
Ah.

With a bit of difficulty he managed to push himself into a sitting position. His head was pounding, hammering against the inside of his skull, but his wrist was worse - yet when he lifted it for inspection there was no wound like he had expected there to be.

Instead, a rhombic-shaped piece of what seemed like metal sat embedded into his red, pulsing flesh.

Stay calm, stay calm, don't give in to the rage. But, strangely enough, there was little to no rage rushing through his veins; merely panic.  
He studied the implant closer. A reddish glowing line ran along the edges of the top face, its light not dimming or flickering once, and a tap of his nail to the metal – his face scrunching as it sent another bolt of pain through his arm – revealed that it was solid and hard. It was real. Someone had put an actual metal implant into his actual wrist.

Oh, and they had apparently taken all his stuff too, as he sat in nothing but his underwear on this seemingly deserted beach.

Fear rushed through him but once more not a single vein beneath his skin turned green, not even a spark of that dangerous, almost foreign anger igniting within him.

What the hell was going on?

 

 

 

She stared at the plump, earthbound bird waggling a few feet away from her; its large, black-tipped beak curved and its dull eyes seemingly lacking any intelligence. It didn't make sense. She watched it for a few seconds more, eyes slightly squinted and mind working at full speed. This must be one of Tony's pranks, then; like the diamond-shaped thing on the inside of her wrist.

But when she reached out and gave the creature a push it stumbled and fell onto its side, squawking in surprise and possibly offense as it scrambled back onto its feet. Claws. Whatever.  
It wasn't a hologram, that much had been settled, yet it looked too real to be a robot.

Well, one way to find out.

She pushed herself upright and snapped a branch off the dead tree lying beside her in the sand, checking if it wouldn't splinter on impact before turning back towards the bird that had apparently been smart enough to take its distance from her. This would have been easier if she had had her gun, or a knife for that matter, but oh well - this would do.  
She quickly caught up to the creature and waited for the Billionaire to come running out of his hiding spot, arms waving for her to stop. Wouldn't he want to prevent the destruction of his newest toy, design, whatever it was? But when nothing happened she weighed the stick in her hands, gave it a few practice swings, and struck the bird right in the head.

One sharp stone and some quick, sloppy skinning later she concluded that no, there really weren't any mechanics underneath.

But then how? How was it possible that she had just killed a Dodo? Had someone managed to recreate it from ancient DNA? That wasn't in Tony’s field of expertise, as far as she knew; nor Banner’s.  
She scanned the area around her. Where was she, anyway? Clear, cerulean water, white sand, palm trees, massive rocks –

Banner!

She sprinted towards the dark-haired man further up the beach, slowing her pace as she came closer and stopping at a safe distance to assess the situation. Like her he was only in his underwear, a similar device stuck in his arm, but he didn't seem busy with finding out what was going on - instead he was sitting on all fours, petting the sand around him.

“Bruce?”

He glanced up, squinting and blinking a bit helplessly. “Nat?”

“Are you all right?” She noticed the pair of glasses not too far from him and carefully moved closer.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I'm just looking for my- ah, yes, thank you.” He put them back on his face and took her hand, letting her help him up.

“Any idea where we are?”

He glanced around, scanning the ocean and the tree line. “Not really, no. Wait, do you have...” His eyes found her wrist – he tried not to focus anywhere else – and the implant in her skin. “Interesting... May I?”

She nodded and held out her arm, allowing him to turn and twist it to the side a bit as he examined the strange addition and compared it to his own.

“Do you think this is of Stark's doing?”

He was too lost in thought to shake his head. “No... No, I have never seen anything like this before; but he would have made it more fashionable, that much I know.” He let go and looked around for a second time. “Maybe a new experiment from Shield?”

“You'd think they would make you sign a bunch of confidentiality contracts first. Besides, I don't think Shield specialises in bringing back extinct birds.”

When Banner only frowned at her she nudged her head to the side. 

“Come take a look.”

 

 

 

 

 

He had no idea what the creature was called, but he loved it. The way it leisurely strolled along the waterline, its tiny wings resting against its pudgy body – could it even fly with those? A different creature, more bat than bird-like, flew over; and he followed it with his eyes until it disappeared between the massive trees. He'd never been here before, that was for sure. Was this even Midgard? It couldn't be Asgard, nor Jotunheim or Nidavellir, and Muspelheim didn't fit either. Actually, none of the realms really came to mind at the sight of the other animal with its neck so long it seemed to breach the clouds.  
Was this some kind of strange dream? He pinched his arm but didn't wake. Then... Perhaps it was his brother playing tricks on him?

“Loki?”

He waited.

“You can come out now.”

But the fat bird just kept waddling along and the soft swishing of waves continued. He had to admit, for an illusion it was a pretty good one. Great attention to detail and all.

“Brother?”

Still no answer came.

Was this really Earth, then? He couldn't remember how he had ended up here, not to mention that most of his more recent memories were blurry and vague; but if this was no dream or trick then surely Heimdall could get him home.

“Heimdall, open the Bifrost.”

He waited again. One second, then two. Three. Four. He made it until five before he lost his patience.

“Heimdall get me back to Asgard.”

Yet once more, no response; and a frown slipped onto his face.

“Please?”

...

As not even pleading seemed to help he sat down and tried to lure the bird closer with a handful of grass. Maybe this was a trial of patience, after all.

 

 

 

 

 

“So it was actually alive?” He pinched the feather-covered skin between his index-finger and his thumb and lifted it for closer inspection; then turned his gaze towards the mutilated bird laying a few feet farther away.

“Before I hit it in the head with a stick and skinned it.”

His face scrunched in disgust at the mental image. “I actually quite wish you hadn't. If this is the real thing, then it would have been very interesting to see it... Well, live.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “I think I saw another one a bit further off. Wanna go take a look? We could take this one with us in case we get hungry.”

“No, ah, I'd... I'd feel bad about eating it.”

“It's already dead so there's not much you can change. Come, let's find out if there's more of them.”

She grabbed the dead bird by its neck and began to walk along the beach, eyes scanning the environment for another Dodo or any sign of human life. Bruce quickly followed. 

He had to admit: the landscape was beautiful. Massive rocks lay scattered over the beach with semi-familiar vegetation growing between and around them, and the trees were often so high it would be foolish to even try and reach for the fruits hanging in the tops. The water was so clear one could see the coral reefs beneath it and the sky was dotted with puffs of cloud, the sun high and warm. Maybe they had been sent on a surprise vacation to relax? No, that didn’t seem right, they knew how easily stressed he could become in situations he could not control and what the possible danger of that could be. They would not take that risk, right? Not without telling them beforehand. And it still didn’t explain-

Natasha held out her arm in front of him, stopping him in his tracks as she stood nailed to the ground.

“What’s wron-” 

But she almost slapped her hand over his mouth, eyes not moving from whatever she had set them on, and he followed her gaze. 

 

There, next to a group of trees further off, stood a raptor.

 

 

 

 

 

He stared at the sand palace he had made and the fat creature that was so oblivious of its environment that it waltzed right through, its claws stomping over the stables, gardens, and rainbow bridge. 

The bird was right. His creation could not even catch the tiniest of glimmers of the beauty that was Asgard. 

He stood up and brushed the sand off his bare legs and torso, looking out across the water before shifting his gaze towards the forest. Not a single boat or plane had passed and he had begun to doubt again whether this was any realm he knew. Should he go inlands? Explore and search for any intelligent life? If this was a test of patience he was pretty sure he had already passed, and his stomach was beginning to protest. Well, sitting around here wouldn’t get him any food; so he gave the long-necked creature a wave, picked up the bird, and began walking towards the treeline. 

 

Vegetation brushed past his shins and ankles as he ventured through the landscape, massive insects similar to dragonflies humming by and patterns of scattering light falling through the canopy. He caught glimpses of old stone pillars hidden beneath layers of moss and vine, the stone crumbling and falling apart. There must have been someone here, then - humans or aliens, he did not know - but he could only hope they still existed. What if this entire place was abandoned? How would he get off? Perhaps Heimdall was just busy and would beam him up later, but his gut told him not to count on it. 

The bird under his arm flapped and squawked a bit, so he gave it a few reassuring pats on the head. “You need a name.” 

He thought for a moment.  
The bird kept struggling. 

“How about fjǫðr?”

More flapping and shrill noises.

“All right, not fjǫðr. Maybe you prefer a Midgardian name? Mark, then? Or... Tom? Chris? Harold?”

But the bird’s wiggling and squirming became so desperate that he had no choice but to let it go, after which it ran away as fast as its little legs could carry it. So much for a feathery friend.  
Yet before he could even say goodbye to the fleeing Harold a hiss interrupted his sorrow and made his gaze shift back. 

A creature stepped from the ferns, its frills of skin fanning out around its two-crested head as it let out a shrill cry.

Not good. Definitely not good.

He slowly rose his hands up to his chest, carefully setting a step back. Though the predator only came up till his waist he knew this was not a creature to be messed with - not while near-naked and hammerless. It bared its many sharp teeth as it hissed again, the numerous thin spikes protruding from its back, flanks, and tail rising like hackles. Maybe… Maybe it was best if he - 

the creature leapt forward and Thor turned with the most ungodly shriek his lungs had ever produced -

He ran like he was lightning itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first batch of characters have been introduced! 
> 
> I love how we went from chatting in the Fǫruneyti Discord about an Ark AU to actually writing the first chapter of the fic! Thank you so much Dryicicle and Terranakari for the lovely idea and the even more wonderful banter about it all. Gotta love those dinosaurs ♡ 
> 
>  
> 
> [The implant.](https://ark.gamepedia.com/media/ark.gamepedia.com/5/55/Specimen_Implant.png)  
> [An example of the beach where Banner and Romanov wake up.](https://i.imgur.com/uj7yI9I.png)  
> [An example of the forest Thor walks into.](https://wallpapers.wallhaven.cc/wallpapers/full/wallhaven-416055.jpg)  
> [A Dodo.](https://orig00.deviantart.net/98d5/f/2016/077/e/2/_ark_se__dodo_by_phelcer-d9vjv6a.png)  
> [A Raptor.](https://orig00.deviantart.net/9cea/f/2016/088/3/4/_ark_se__raptor_by_phelcer-d9wxp3z.png)  
> [A Dilo.](https://arkforum.de/core/index.php?attachment/1860-dilo-png/)


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative summary:  
> In a place riddled with dinosaurs there's no such thing as 'some goddamn peace and quiet'.

“What the fuck?”

He glanced at the ugly thing stuck in his wrist. The skin around it had taken on a nasty red and it hurt like hell, even more so when he grabbed the piece of metal and tried to yank it out. It wouldn’t budge. No matter how hard he pulled or how loud he yelled in pain, no matter how many curses he huffed as he tried to calm down again; flesh throbbing and itching so agonizingly he had to close his eyes and focus on his breathing.  
This wasn’t happening.  
This was only just some kind of fucked up dream or hallucination or something.

He groaned, eyes still closed. “Jarvis? Jarvis please state my situation; physically and mentally.”

But the only sounds that followed came from the vast ocean in front of him and the ominous woods behind.

Jarvis did not answer.  
He was alone.

Please don’t let this be reality, please let this be a dream.  
The rustling of the leaves grew louder and louder, the whooshing of the breeze began to howl past his ears and the waves seemed to crash and pound against the inside of his head and he pressed his trembling hands to his temples, pressed with so much force as if that alone would get rid of the ringing in his ears and would slow the rapid beating of his heart.  
As soon at it diminished even the tiniest bit he pushed himself up and stumbled towards the waterline, let his knees hit the wet sand and splashed the cold, clear water into his face; keeping his hands over his eyes.

He didn't pay attention to how his body began to protest against the cold. He didn't fully register how the shadows of the seagulls circling overhead were too big to be normal, and he didn’t see how, a bit further off, a small creature was studying him through the tall grass.  
He began to doubt if rejecting the A.I.’s advice to take medication had been the right thing to do. 

But now he didn’t have a choice at all. He was stranded on an island he didn’t recognise - it definitely wasn’t one he owned - and had nothing but his underwear and that unsettling thing in his wrist. What did it do? What kind of effect did it have on him? Did it register data or something?  
He shook his head and splashed some more water into his face. He shouldn’t think too much about it; lest he risk another anxiety attack. 

Breathe in, breathe out. 

Then a soft, purr-like sound caught his attention.  
He looked to the left, but there was nothing there. Then to the right-

He stumbled to the side with a yell, kicking himself back through the sand and scrambling to his feet as he kept his eyes on the small… small… that was a fucking dinosaur, wasn’t it?

 

“This isn’t real. This isn’t- “ He sniffed, the water dripping down his chin while the creature stared back at him, and he raised his voice. “Funny, guys; now cut it out. I’m seriously beginning to freak out here!” 

But the tiny dinosaur just tilted its long, slender head to the side a bit as if to express its curiosity. It didn’t seem like it was going to attack; it was just… watching him. Why was it here? Why was it _real?_

“Shoo, shoo,” he flapped his hand in its direction yet still it stayed where it was. “I said go!”

Instead, it came closer. 

“No no no no no, we’re not doing that, pal! Stay the fuck away!” But no matter how many steps he set backwards, the creature followed. 

Should he turn and run? It didn’t look too dangerous and it hadn’t bitten his leg or anything; but maybe it was better to be safe than sorry. Would it be able to climb? A quick glance over his shoulder told him that there was a nice, high rock not too far from him. Should he risk it? Yep, he was risking it.  
He kept his eyes on the creature for a few seconds more, muscles tensing and heart speeding up - and he turned around and ran.

 

 

 

A last punch in the face and the dinosaur was knock-out. He could still barely believe this was happening. One moment he had woken up under the beautiful blue sky, and the next something had set its teeth into his bare arm - but when he had reached for his shield it hadn’t been by his side. 

He glanced down at the corpse at his feet, then at the bleeding teeth marks in his own biceps. It would heal soon enough so he did not worry about infections or things like that, but the blood… Would it attract more of them? He could handle a few of those things, maybe even a small group, but too many and he wasn’t so sure of his chances anymore. What a sad and surreal end that would be: getting eaten by a bunch of dinosaurs. 

He pushed the thought aside and took in his surroundings. He didn’t think anyone would live too close to a beach full of killing machines, yet he figured the woods would be far worse; who knew what was lurking between the trees? If there were smaller things like this around, then there was a big chance that ones higher up the food chain were here as well. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to a T-Rex encounter.  
But then where would he find safety? Would it be better if he built it himself instead of journeying into unfamiliar and hostile land? There were enough trees around, enough rocks.  
Yes, he would prepare himself before going anywhere; and who knew, maybe a ship would spot him and take him home. Shield would come looking for him sooner or later. 

 

 

 

There was no postponing it: that raptor needed to die. It had been murdering all the smaller creatures in the area and you had needed to move farther and farther from the base to hunt; right into the territory of bigger, more frightening dinosaurs - not to mention that the rotting corpses attracted all kinds of dangerous scavengers. Only once that raptor was dead would the balance return.  
So you fastened the leather over your clothes and added your spear, knife, and bow to your inventory. You had coated the arrow tips with the juice of poisonous berries and hoped it would slow him down enough for Xena to finish it, but there was no doubt it was going to be dangerous. Very dangerous. You’d wondered if taking Gizmo with you would be a good choice, but had in the end opted not to: though his broken tail had healed, his balance was nothing like it had been. 

Just you and Xena, then.

After fastening your water bladder to your belt you stepped outside and stretched your muscles a bit. Dread was already settling inside your stomach and nerves tingled in the back of your head, but not taking this risk meant you would most likely lose your life soon, anyway. You had put this off way too long already.

Xena opened her eyes as you walked by and yawned, the sound not unlike those tigers from documentaries you only vaguely remembered seeing, before standing up and doing her typical cat like stretch: butt up, paws forward. It made you smile without exception. 

‘It’s time to go. You ready?’

She came striding over at a leisurely pace, showing no discontent whatsoever while you dragged the saddle from its wooden rack and heaved it onto her shoulders. A few straps and knots later and it was secured into place.

You wondered if she knew, or if she at least had a hunch as to what the two of you were going to try and do. Would she turn away and run before you could land a blow? She had been loyal to you so far - all of them had been - but were there no boundaries? No limits as to how far they would follow you? And if there were, would this be one? You didn’t know whether she could outrun a raptor of that level. You didn’t want to find out.

So you silenced your anxious thoughts and pushed the fears back as far as you could. Eat or get eaten, survive or be survived. It was best to live like one of them - in the present, no need for the past or future. No need to worry for what was yet to come.  
But that was what made you human, wasn’t it? The only thing that made you different from the monsters out there. Well, that and your opposable thumbs. But wasn’t it something to hold on to? If you lost your humanity, then why try? Why try to survive and live when there was so little to stay alive for? Ah, you were thinking too much again.

A sigh slipped past your lips as the two of you made your way to the gate, where you took the wooden beam from its holders. One last glance at the base. Don’t think about seeing it for the last time, don’t think about not being able to return - just turn your back to it and close the gate behind you. 

“All right, let’s go.” 

You hopped onto the saddle and urged the sabertooth into a trot. 

 

A claw print here, a pile of shit there; you would find him sooner or later. If only you’d had something to have Xena track his scent with, this would have been much easier.  
She slowed down and lifted her nose into the air. Wait, had she read your thoughts? Did the implants allow you to do that, too? You hadn’t noticed that before!  
But the oversized cat seemed… confused?  
She glanced at you over her shoulder as if to ask what it was, so you lifted your chin and closed your eyes to focus on any strange scents as well. Of course you couldn’t find any; who knew how much better her smell was than yours. 

You opened your eyes and met her gaze. “Should we follow it?” 

She couldn’t understand you, but that hadn’t kept you from talking to her - or any of your other dinos, for that matter.  
But whatever was out there, it was new to her. It could just as well be another danger to add to the mix.

Yet... What if it was a new survivor?

Hope began to fight against the loneliness you were once again reminded of. There was so much that could go wrong, so much that could disappoint you in the end even if it was indeed another human. They could be hostile, or toxic, or plain rude. They could try to raid your base, or steal from you and slip out during the night. They could already belong to that horrid tribe in the east. 

But there was a change that they could be kind, too. If there was someone who was going through the things you had gone through, someone who was lost and scared and helpless - wasn’t it your duty to offer them safety in this place where safety no longer seemed to exist? You couldn’t leave them to their own devices.  
So you nudged Xena’s flanks a bit and she continued in the direction of whatever it was her nose had caught. You weren’t going in without some preparation, though. You sent the mental command to the implant and waited for your bow to materialise in your hand, your quiver appearing on your back, then pulled one arrow from its place and positioned it on the wooden rest.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on your surroundings, don’t let monster nor man ambush you. And don’t allow the stench of rotting flesh to make you throw up, either. Good Gods, it was bad. 

Wait, was that… 

You squinted, not fully succeeding in forcing your eyes to see farther but not fully failing either. That _was_ a man climbing a tree astonishingly fast, wasn’t it? There came the hope again; even harder to contain this time.  
Your fingers tightened around the grip and you made sure you had nocked the arrow correctly as Xena set another step forwards- 

a trike came crashing through the vegetation, leaves and vines getting stuck around its horns and on its spiky ridge. It didn’t slow him down. With a force that made your bones shake it rammed against the tree and the poor man nearly fell from it, his quick reflexes the only thing that saved him. Bark flew to the side, a whirlwind of leaves cascading from the canopy while the thick-hided beast prepared to charge again. 

No wonder why he had climbed so fast. 

Within a split second you had made your decision. You let out a high-pitched whistle but didn’t wait for the triceratops to turn around and shift its rage onto you before shouting at the man in the tree:

“We’ll come around to pick you up, move down the tree and prepare to jump on!”

Then you quickly turned Xena around and ran before the trike could close the distance. 

 

 

He watched the woman and her sabertooth lead the dinosaur away, his heart still beating like crazy. He wasn’t sure whether to follow her command, however. Move down the tree? And get eaten by the next thing that came around?  
But there weren’t many other options. He couldn’t stay in here until either he starved to death or something came to destroy this tree with him in it. And she had had a _bow_. 

 

All right, down to the ground it was. He listened to the whistles that sounded through the forest every once in a while, waited for them to come closer, for the log-crashing and wood-snapping sounds to get louder, before quickly lowering himself branch by branch.  
She was getting closer… closer...

A flash of skin and fur and he dropped himself the last meter, using his momentum to jump back up and grab onto the saddle.

 

The jank on his arm as the sabertooth pulled him along was incredibly painful but the woman grabbed his wrist before his fingers could slip from the leather, and she heaved him up before the dinosaur’s beak could snap off his foot. 

 

“Give me your bow!” 

“What? But-”

“Please, now!” 

Against all reason she did.  
He nocked the arrow she handed him, twisted in the saddle, pulled back the string, and aimed. 

Bull’s-eye. 

The creature roared and staggered, crashing into a tree in its partial blindness as the blood spurted from its left eye socket. The sabertooth did not slow down. 

Slowly the wailing beast disappeared behind layers and layers of vegetation and the tension left his muscles, a sigh slipping from his lungs. 

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another batch of characters, including MC! 
> 
> (Get it? Bull's-eye? Ehehehe)  
>  
> 
> [An example of the creature that spooks Tony.](https://res.cloudinary.com/dk-find-out/image/upload/q_80,w_1920,f_auto/DCTM_Penguin_UK_DK_AL718018_aodwdj.jpg)  
> [A Sabertooth.](https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/ark-survival-evolved/images/8/80/Smilodon2.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/280?cb=20161025090146)  
> [A Trike (Triceratops)](https://img00.deviantart.net/4d22/i/2017/090/7/4/ark__survival_evolved_dossiers__triceratops_by_dinosuarjosh-db46doy.png)


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative summary:  
> Jurassic Park 2.0: once again people get fucked up by raptors.

Once you were certain the trike wouldn’t show up and attack again you slowed Xena into a more comfortable pace, giving you the opportunity to glance over your shoulder. The man answered your awed gaze with a smile. 

“Thank you for helping me out.” 

“Sure thing. But how did you… were you a professional archer before you came here?” He had shot the creature right in its eye while both he and the target had been moving - how was such accuracy even possible? 

His smile widened. “You could call it that. I’m Clint, by the way.” 

You introduced yourself as well, but waved for him to keep the bow when he offered it back. “Keep it, it’ll be much more useful in your hands.”

“You sure?”

“Hmhm.” You could make another one; and you still had your spear, anyway.

It was becoming hard to contain your growing excitement. Though he may be deceiving you, he didn’t look like a bad person - quite the opposite, if you had to trust your judgment of character. Could your wish for an ally become reality after all?  
Speaking of allies: he would be a valuable asset in your quest to kill the raptor. Could you ask that of him? You had just saved his life, so maybe he thought he owed you one, but was he prepared to put it on the line again so soon after? Maybe it would no longer be dangerous when he could blind the monster before it had spotted you. Yes… Yes! This was great! Your chances of surviving would rise through the fucking roof!  
_If_ you were able to convince him to help you out.

But how were you going to introduce the subject? Saying something like ‘Hey I’m on a near-suicidal mission to kill a high-level raptor, wanna come?’ would no doubt scare him off. No, you needed to be tactful. 

Yet before you could figure out the right words he already spoke up.

“I… Have a lot of questions.”

Your shoulders fell a bit. Of course. How could you forget? You had been selfish, immediately thinking about your own gain instead of the confusion that he must be going through right now, and you hadn’t even asked him if he was all right.  
Great savior you were. 

“No doubt.” You’d had lots of questions, too; and even after all this time you still hadn’t had many answers. “I will try to answer them as well as I can.”

A few moments passed as he tried to get his priorities straight. 

“Where are we?”

The smile that tugged on your lips was empty. “I’m really sorry, but I have no idea. Everyone who wakes up here has no memory of arriving or anything that would lead up to that. There’s no cities as far as I know, no villages except those built by the tribes that formed over time, and whomever left behind the ruins are now long gone.”

Maybe this was Purgatory, like in that one series you had forgotten the name of. The constant danger, the loneliness, the crushed dreams and the traumas… Perhaps it was even a milder level of Hell. 

He didn’t sound defeated, though - quite the opposite. “There are others here? Other people?” 

You kept your eyes straight forward, not daring to look over your shoulder and see the hope in his eyes. To see it shatter when you answered. 

“Yes, but it’s - Well - They’re… It’s best to stay away from them.” Memories flashed through your mind. “Far, far away, if you value your life.”

And, as expected, the hope in his voice twisted into worry. “And you haven’t seen anyone new like me? A woman with long, dark hair? A boy and his little sister? Maybe with a toddler?”

You tensed. Oh no… Was that his family? His wife and kids? You were sure children wouldn’t survive long out here, especially not toddlers: their sounds would alert the predators nearby and they would make for an easy meal. If they had all arrived at the same time as him, or even before him, the chances were great they were already dead. How were you to tell him that? 

“No, not yet... But maybe they’ll arrive later?”

A lie. You hadn’t heard of anyone getting someone back from their previous lives; no wives, no husbands, no parents and no kids. Was it cruel to give him false hope? But who knew what he would do when there was nothing left to cling to. You knew what _you_ had considered doing.

 

The man sitting behind you stayed silent. Maybe it was best not to talk about it too much. He would grieve, or perhaps convince himself that they were doing fine somewhere else - somewhere safe.

 

A fresh pile of raptor shit caught your attention and reminded you of your mission. Maybe it would be a good way to distract him from his worries.  
All right, pick your words carefully. 

“Hey, do you want to help me out with something? I could use your skills. You can get some of the clothes I have at my base when we get back there, of course, and I’ll try to answer all the questions you’ve still got; but I really need to get this done first.” 

“Sure. What do you need me for?” 

Well, that was easy. 

“There’s this pesky dinosaur that keeps driving away all the prey in the area and it has been making my life difficult. If you could like, kill it with a few well-aimed shots? I’d be forever grateful.” 

“All right. How many arrows have you got left?” 

 

 

Natasha quickly pulled him behind one of the massive stones and glanced around the corner. 

“It hasn’t seen us yet, but-” She fell silent. 

He spoke back in a hushed voice. “What?”

“I think it has smelled us.” 

“If it can smell fear then that is very likely, at least in my case. Wait- what about the dodo?” 

She looked down at the corpse in her hands. “Shit, you’re right. I’m not sure how far I can throw this without bringing it closer to us.” 

“Should we wait and see if it leaves?” 

She dared to look past the boulder. “I don’t think that will help. It’s coming this way.” The curses that slipped from his lips surprised her. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? There’s a raptor coming straight towards us and you ask me whats wrong? I can’t - I’m not…” He took a deep breath but was unable to hide the slight quiver in his voice. “I can’t turn into Him. I don’t know why but I’m guessing it has something to do with the thing in our wrists.”

She blinked. Of course she would love for Banner to be rid of the Hulk, as it only brought him anxiety and trauma, but at times like these his ability was more than useful - life saving, even. She didn’t think she’d be able to take it down on her own.  
She didn’t tell him that, though. 

“Then we will have to get creative.” One glance past the boulder told her it was still slowly, sneakily advancing; nose in the air and claws nearly silent on the glittering sand. “Boost me up.” 

“What?” 

“Trust me.” 

And he did trust her. He trusted her with his life. So he hooked his fingers together and sank through his knees, then nodded for her to go. With her hands on his shoulders she set one foot in his palms and braced herself; eyes focused on where she would need to grab on. Banner launched her up and prepared to catch her again if she missed-  
Natasha’s fingers caught onto the edges and she swung her foot over the ledge.  
After a bit of pushing her other heel up on his part and some crawling on her part she managed to make her way onto the top of the boulder. 

“Should I throw the bird up as well?” 

“No, keep it there; throw me something like a long branch instead.” 

He had no idea where she was going with this, but he did as he was asked and found a stick without stepping into the sight of the raptor; throwing it up for her to catch. He glanced down at the avian corpse at his feet. “And now?” 

“Try to lure him in.” 

“Are you insane?”

“Just get him to focus his attention on you. Wave the dodo around or something, sing a song, do a dance, whatever makes this easier for you.” 

“Nothing makes this easier - I thought we _didn’t_ want it to get closer!” 

“Standing here and waiting for it to come and get us isn’t going to work, either. Please, Bruce.” 

He knew that, he really did, but he still disliked the thought of being bait when he realised he could very well lose his life. Now that he was beginning to suspect that the Hulk was truly gone he felt so much more vulnerable. Sure, it was a massive relief and he felt like he could finally breathe again, finally be himself again; it was almost too good to be true - and maybe it was. Maybe He would come back again when his life was close to being taken. But what if He didn’t? What if he died and hadn’t even had the chance to live without that burden? It’d be more than just unfair. 

But he grabbed the skinned bird by its neck and stepped out behind the rock. 

The raptor immediately turned to him and it almost seemed as if its eyes were glinting with murder. It was the first time in years his hands had truly trembled out of fear. 

“I’ve got a nice snack for you~” His voice shook despite his sing-song tone. “Want a bite?” He lifted the dead creature and wiggled it a bit. “If I give it to you will you promise not to eat us?” 

It lowered its head and opened its maw, teeth blinking in the harsh sunlight. Oh no. Oh God please no. 

“Come closer very, very slowly and you can ha-”

It pushed itself off from the sand and dashed towards him.

“Shit shit shit shit! _Nat!_ ” There was no use in running, this dinosaur was known for its speed and agility. He watched Death come at him and felt his heart falter.

Yet before it could reach out and sink its teeth into his flesh Natasha dropped from the sky and landed on its back, sliding the stick between its jaws and pulling on both sides to draw its head backwards and stop it in its tracks. It arched its back and thrashed its head and tail as it tried to throw her off.

“Find something sharp and stab it!”

Banner frantically looked around but his heart was beating too fast and his blood was rushing and his eyes weren’t focused and his body and mind expected to turn green but he didn’t, he didn’t and it confused every cell of his being and he was _panicking_. 

“Quick, Banner!”

“I can’t find anything-” 

An arrow shot through the air and dove into the raptor’s eye.

It let out a ear-deafening screech but the arrow didn’t kill it, and the deadly creature thrashed even more violently; forcing Natasha to wrap her arms around its neck and protect her head. But soon another arrow followed, into its other eye, into its neck, into its nose. It wouldn’t die.

 

“Who’s shooting?!” 

Bruce’s eyes shot from side to side as he scanned the treeline, and there he spotted them: two people on the back of what looked like a sabertooth tiger. 

Before he could make out their faces the wooden stick snapped beneath the force of the dinosaur’s jaws and the beast turned around, its tail slapping him right in the stomach and sending him backwards. The air got knocked from his lungs for a second time when his spine hit the sand. In its rage it managed to throw Romanoff of its back, too, whose shoulder smacked against the stone. This was not looking good.  
It rose its bleeding nose into the air again, nostrils flaring as it picked up his scent. Still determined to kill. Bruce couldn’t do anything but watch as the predator stalked his way - no Hulk to save him, no weapons to buy him time. He was done for. No matter how many arrows buried themselves into its flesh it didn’t stop advancing. 

Three more steps and he would be ripped apart. 

Two more steps before Death would find him. 

One more step before those claws would spill his guts on the beach. 

The raptor’s body blocked out the sun, drops of its blood hitting his bare skin. This was it. Tears streamed down his cheeks and into his ears as he breathed a last plea to whatever God would hear him-

A flash of fur knocked the raptor off its feet and a second shriek pierced the air as the tiger sank its dagger-like teeth into the reptile’s neck, blood spurting from the cut artery. It flailed for another few moments, before its movements fully stilled. 

It was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at this gorgeous fanart by DryIcicle on Tumblr!!  
> [Tony Stark](https://foruneyti.tumblr.com/post/169080697553/this-isnt-real-art-by-dryicicle)  
> [Steve Rogers](https://foruneyti.tumblr.com/post/169080715673/shield-will-come-looking-for-me-sooner-or)  
> The logo in the background is a mash-up of the Ark logo and the Avenger's logo and it is simply brilliant!  
> The same (amazing) person also made an [ARK playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/dryicicle1/playlist/3JpNj1TLQPbpq0hO2FQrex)!


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative summary:  
> Welcome to Hell! We have dinosaurs :)

Both Bruce and Natasha let out a relieved sigh; the danger was gone and they were still alive. The accuracy with which the arrows had been shot could only come from one man, but where had the sabertooth come from? And why had it helped them?  
She pushed herself upright and, with a pained hum, put her dislocated elbow back into place; but her attention had long shifted to the figure jogging towards them. No, wait - two figures. When Clint was close enough she accepted his hug and embraced him back with just as much force, though her eyes scanned the woman lingering behind.

“Thank God you guys are here. Have you seen Laura around?” He let go of her to look her in her eyes, but his expression dropped as soon as he did. “Not the kids, either?”

She quietly shook her head.

“Hey, guys?”

They turned their gaze to Banner, who stood squatted beside the dead raptor. 

“I don’t think it’s… I mean, it isn’t accurate. It isn’t like it should have been.” He lifted one of its arms as the look in his eyes grew even more puzzled. “It doesn’t have feathers.”

Natasha frowned. “What do you mean?” 

“Well it has feathers, but only in specific places. It should be fully covered.” 

“So what you’re saying is that it isn’t real?” Clint came to stand by the corpse as well. 

“Oh no it’s definitely real; however strange that fact may be on its own. But it just doesn’t fit what we thought about them - it doesn’t fit the research, the reconstructions from collected data… It’s almost as if it’s a different subspecies.”

He glanced up to search for the sabertooth, only to see it had returned to the woman’s side. Was it domesticated? How in the world would you domesticate a creature like that?

“Could I… Could I take a look?”

You nodded. “Sure, she won’t bite.”

Still, he couldn’t help but feel his heart speed up as he moved closer to the massive cat. When a final encouraging nod from you was enough to make him set the last step he began examining the fur, the teeth, the eyes. The tiger didn’t seem to find it bothering in the least. 

“My knowledge of prehistoric animals isn’t that extensive, but this one seems to conform more to the scientific evidence we found.” His gaze shifted to the saddle. “Apart from its behaviour. How did you manage to domesticate it?”

“Ah- I eh, I didn’t; actually. I got her from someone as a gift.” 

His face flashed through your mind, and your heart ached again. Oh how you missed him.

The red haired woman now turned to you, too. “So who are you? Do you live here?”

After introducing yourself you smiled, but it was more out of formality than anything else. “I washed up, just like everyone else; and after failing multiple times at escaping I resigned and made my home here. I can take you to my base, give you some clothes and some food? It’s not too far from here.” You could see how she didn’t trust you. Maybe you wouldn’t have trusted yourself either, if you had been in their place.

Clint shook his head. “No, if we three are here then the chance that Tony and Steve are here too is pretty big. We have to look for them.” 

“Is this some sort of group training simulation then?” The man with the glasses stopped examining Xena and turned back to face the others. “Because if this is an Avengers thing then maybe Thor is here, too.”

“It doesn’t make sense.” 

Avengers? Thor? Where had you heard those names before? Ahh you hated how you couldn’t remember, but you did know that they would most likely die if they didn’t come with you. 

“We can kill two birds with one stone; move up the beach in the direction of my base while keeping our eyes open for any other washed up people. Then, when you are properly equipped and have had something to eat, we can move down the beach to search the parts we haven’t covered yet.” 

Smart Guy seemed convinced, or at least desperate enough to trust you, and Clint, too, looked as if he was ready to follow; but the red-haired woman still had that examining look in her eyes. You could only hope she wouldn’t stab you in the back. 

“I trust her. She saved me from one of those dinosaurs and gave me her bow and arrows. I don’t think she means us harm.” 

“And her sabertooth stopped the raptor before it could kill me, too. She saved both our lives and is now offering us food, shelter, and the chance to possibly find the others. I think we should accept.” 

She sighed. “All right. Which way do we go?” 

Oh! You almost forgot your ‘prize’. 

“Let me harvest the meat first real quick.” 

They watched in horror and fascination how you and your sabertooth tiger dragged the beast to a flat rock nearby, how you made a knife materialise into your hand and how you used it to skin the raptor; then how you hacked its meat in pieces with an axe you had switched for the knife, made a blue holoscreen appear from the implant your wrist, and finally how you put it all in the digital-like void of your inventory. Not a single piece of the raptor was left on that rock. 

Everyone was silent, eyes wide and bodies frozen in place. 

“I’ll eh… I’ll explain it all later. Please follow me.”

 

 

They followed you from a slight distance, none of them having accepted to ride with you, and spoke to each other in hushed tones. You didn’t care. They could whisper and converse and plot all they wanted, because you knew that two of them would vote against killing you. Or so you hoped, at least.  
So you kept Xena going at a casual pace they could easily keep up with but rode far enough away from them to give them their privacy. 

On the topic of privacy - how were you going to do that when all three of them decided to stay? And what if the other ones they mentioned were there, too? They would need to help build more rooms or even separate buildings, since you hadn’t yet been able to add a second floor. Maybe one of them knew how to tackle that problem as well.

Okay, so you had one bedroom for yourself with possibly space for one more sleeping bag, then the guest room with space for two - that would cover them so far. And then they had mentioned… Uhm. Steven? Or something like that, and a Tony, and another one... Thor? All right. Three more people so at least one more room; they could sleep in the living area until the expansion had been built. If they were even found, of course. They had been lucky so far, but-

“Hey!” 

Your head whipped to the side and by instinct you made a knife materialise into your dominant hand, muscles tensing and ready for a fight. You relaxed again almost immediately, though: the other three shouted and waved back to the man sitting atop the boulder, relieved smiles on everyone’s faces. This was… strange, to say the least. Would they really find everyone they were looking for?  
The sting of jealousy that mixed with a weary kind of sadness was a stark contrast against the joyful reunion a couple of meters away. You barely even knew who you missed anymore. 

They noticed the little dinosaur at the foot of the rock and the woman scoffed. After a slightly mocking comment she stepped forward, grabbed the compy by its neck, and bent it with an audible snap; giving the new guy a pointed look. He didn’t look amused. Then he noticed you, however.

“Who’s that?” 

“She lives here. She offered us food and shelter at her place; said it wasn’t too far from here.” 

“Can we trust her?” 

You turned your face away and tried to stop listening in on their conversation, but it was hard now that the subject had turned to you. 

“We don’t know, but she says she has answers. She knows about this thing in our wrists.” 

“Wait you guys have it too?”

You sighed. If they were going to fill him in on everything that had happened and start a full conversation about it, this trip was going to take ages. So you turned your gaze back towards them and tried to politely clear your throat. 

“I will try to answer all of your questions when we get to my base, but if you want to find the other ones you’re looking for we might need to hurry. Every second counts here.” No one was looking forward to finding a half-eaten corpse; not you, anyway. 

Clint helped New Guy get off the rock, and once more you continued on your way with your newfound clique of half-naked, washed-up strangers. Oh what your life had come to. 

 

After a few more minutes of travelling along the shoreline you halted and turned around. 

“From this point on we will have to travel through the woods. Keep your eyes and ears open and try to be as quiet as possible.” 

That stupid raptor had attracted a lot of other predators after all, with all the mutilated bodies it had left lying around. You were glad that it was finally dead. The meat would last you and the others a few days if they decided to stick around, and the leather, bones, intestines, and feathers could be used later for some of your crafts.  
You prompted Xena back into a slow pace, her movements silent and graceful. You knew this forest like the back of your hand and were quite comfortable wandering around it, but who knew how loud the new ones would scream when they came face to face with a dilo or something - especially the guy who had fled up a rock out of fear of a little compy. 

Luckily birdsong sounded from the canopy and you didn’t come across any pile of fresh dinosaur shit. It was semi-safe to assume that the coast was clear.

 

In the relative peace your mind started to wander again. Should you really show them the way to your pretty well-hidden base? What if they decided not to trust you after all and formed a tribe on their own? They seemed like good people, as far as people were good, and you doubted that they would be a problem should they become their own group; but it was still a risk you weren’t too fond of taking.  
No way back now, though. Besides, the possible advantages may be worth it in the end, even if they went off to build a base somewhere else. Trading, keeping up good relations and perhaps doing each other some favours now and then; not to mention that New Guy was pretty hot. He was probably already married though, like Clint, with a nice house and a kid or something. You couldn’t take advantage of his loss.  
Oh boy, would you need to set rules and all that? No shagging in your base? No that’d be cruel, especially if Clint’s wife turned out to be here after all. 'No fighting' would almost be impossible with so many people in such a small confinement, and 'no thoughtless actions' may be too much to ask when their brains were hurting. Would they even consider you their leader? You knew the most of them all when it came to surviving, but you didn’t know if that would be enough. You were not the oldest of them nor did you know them like they knew each other. Hopefully they would respect you enough to take your advice to heart, because one little mistake could cost them their lives - or yours. If they were to stay then teamwork was going to be essential.  
How you prayed for them to stay. You’d have company again, maybe even fun, and everything could turn out so great if the universe allowed it. You had missed human contact so much. You had missed the sound of voices, of laughter; even snoring! Anything was better than that not-quite-silence at night, when you would hear the cries and roars of the dangerous things outside your fences. You had gotten used to it after a while, sure; and the nightmares had faded, but some distraction might be the kindest thing the Island had given you since… Well, since a long time. 

You thought you at least deserved a bit more kindness here, though, thank you very much! You had done most of this on your own and you were still alive, so yeah, if that wasn’t worth a reward then what the hell was? With all those killing machines out there and the fucking massive sharks in the water and the loneliness and bouts of depression. This life wasn’t pretty, but being alone while living it was even worse.

You awoke from your thoughts as you saw your wall through the vegetation and some of the worry and… whatever you had been feeling left your heart. You would just have to wait and see what they would do and deal with whatever consequences may follow - good or bad.

“We’re here!”

You followed it until you reached the gate before getting off of Xena’s back and opening it for them, giving them access to your house.  
You could only hope your emotions hadn’t blinded you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More fanart by Drycicle!  
> [Loki Odinson](https://foruneyti.tumblr.com/post/169360689628/i-never-expected-to-feel-so-useless-art-by)


End file.
